Apparatus for producing packing strips



July 25, 1933. RUEGENBERG 1,920,109

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PACKING STRIPS Filed Aug. 51, 1952 3 Sheets-She et 1 Gollfrbd/Puqywdeiy as, WW MW July 25, 1933. RUEGENBERG 1,920,109

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PACKING STRIPS Filed Aug. 31, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 25, 1933. G. RUEGENB'ERG 1,920,109

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PACKING STRIPS Filed Aug. 31, 1932 3 Sheets+Sheet 3 Patented July 25, 1933 GOTTFBIEIJ RUEGENBEBG, OF OLPE, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PACKING STRIPS Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial No. 631,263.

This invention relates to an apparatus for producing packing strips of the type adapted for the cushioning of such frangible articles as bottles and the like.

It is the object of the invention to provide an assembly of elements which is capable of economically producing packing strips in large quantities made from pasteboard or paper, resulting in a product which is strong,

resistant to moisture, compact, and having a great cushioning effect for the materials protected thereby.

The invention provides a machine for pressing a substantially non-expansible sheet of material, such as paper or pasteboard, in

to the desired configuration without any undue stretching or tearing of the same.

The invention provides an apparatus which imparts a permanency to the pressed configuration of the packing strip which makes possible the repeated use of the same.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an apparatus which produces a continuous packing strip which may be cut in any lengths desired.

Further objects and purposes will appear from the following detailed description of the embodiment of my invention disclosed herein, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my assembly,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a piece of packing strip produced by the apparatus, and

Fi 4 is an enlarged elevation of the moldlng elements.

In Fig. 1, the machine frame 1 supports the majority of the operating elements of my novel and improved machine. Although the machine is adapted to operate upon pasteboard, I have found it advantageous to form the packing strip from a composite sheet of material. Thus, brackets 3 are fixed upon vertical uprights 2 at the rear of the machine frame, across which extends a plurality of rolls of paper, of any desired grade or quality. Three of such rolls are illus-- trated at 4, 5 and 6. The paper leading glass may be used, I have found this solution particularly suitable since it renders the finished product resistant to moisture and 65 also imparts a reinforcing effect to the packing strip which aids in the permanent retention of the configuration of the strip. The

composite sheet 56 is then carried over rollers 9 and 10 and is presented to the roller units 11 and 12 for the pressing of the desired configuration in the sheet material to form the packing strip.

Roller unit 11 is yieldingly held by spring pressure against roller unit 12 which may be adjusted by hand wheels 13 to "ariably position the blocks 20, in which the upper roller unit 11 is journalled with respect to the fixed journals of roller 12. The bolts 15, extending from the machine frame, support the cross bars 16 and surrounding the former are springs 17 which yieldingly press roller 11 into engagement with roller 12 through cross bars 19. The roller units 11 and 12 are rotated by a drive extending from a belt 23 to pulley 24 from a suitable drive shaft in the plant. The drive of the machine is controlled by a clutch 25 which may be shifted into or out of engagement with the pulley by means of lever 26. In the engaging position of this clutch, motion is transmitted from wheel 24 to pinion 27 which meshes with gear 28. Pinion 29, integral with gear 28, drives gear 30 which imparts rotation to the lower roller unit 12. Pinion 31 at the 95 opposite end of the frame transmits the motion of roller 12 to gear 32 which drives the upper roller at'a reduced speed with respect to roller 12, the tendency being to maintain the peripheral velocity of the two roller units substantially the same. The slight ielding of the upper roller unit does not a cot the driving engagement between gears 31 and 32.

Roller unit 11 consists of two side walls 35, 36 which are mounted upon hollow shaft 46 journalled in the blocks 20. A plurality of molding elements 37 are rotatably mounted in the walls 35, 36 and are of the configuration desired to press into the sheet of material which eventuallyvforms the packing strip. These molds are hollow and communicate by suitable stuffing glands with radial channel 47 which in turn opens into hollow shagft 46. Steam is introduced through mam 45 intoithe hollow shaft 46, controlled by valve 66 and serves to heat each of the mold elements. Other forms of heating means for the mold elements may be used, such as hot air, gas, or electricity in a manner known in the art. The lower roller unit 12 consisting of a unitary hollow element, has a plurality of recesses 38 in the periphery thereof, which are disposed complementarily and congruously to the molding elements 37 in the upper roller unit 11, due allowance being made for the thickness of the packing strip. These recesses are of substantially semi-circular cross section and successively receive the molding elements 37, thereby forming depressions in the packing strip for receiving the packed articles. The roller unit 12 is also heated, through hollow shaft 48.

In order to form the specific configuration desired in the instant case, the molding elements 37'have a series of ribs and grooves extending across them parallel to the direction of travel of the sheet material. In order to produce an improved article, the fiuting upon each molding element is slightly displaced with respect to the fiuting upon the adjacent molding elements.- The.

recesses 38 in roller unit 12 are formed accordingly. Furthermore, in order to provide a more pliable packing strip, the deepest'portionsof the recesses 38 at 41 are not corrugated with ribs and grooves.

A composite sheet 56 is introduced between roller units 11 and 12 and the form of the molding units is impressed therein. In View of the fact that only one molding element of the upperroller unit efiectsits pressing action upon the material at one time, no tendency'for the stretching or tearing of the paper takes place. The capability of the molding elements 37 of rotating aids the passage of the sheet material between the units without a tearin thereof. The fact that a certain amount 0 slippage is possible between the three layers of materialalso aids inthe obtaining of a product with no weak flaws therein. A preliminary.

control'u on the condition of the sheet material prior to its passage to the pressing units is provided at casing 60 which may be suitably heated by main 61 extending from the heat source to dry the paper to a desired degree.

As the successive pressing of each molding member takes place, the pressed portion of the material remains in its respective recess 38 until the same is guided therefrom by a suitably formed rotatable take-ofi member 51 which cooperates with a fixed guide 51 to strip the formed packing strip from the lower roller unit 12. In the course of travel of the strip from its forming stage to its stripping stage, it is dried by the heat of the roller unit 12 which guarantees a .permanence to the configuration pressed therein. After the strip is led off the roller unit 12 between elements 50 and 51, the same may be cut in any desired lengths by knives 53 mounted upon table 52. Although these knives have been shown as manually operated, they -may consist of automatically operated knives or stamping cutters which are well known in the art and need not be illustrated in detail for the purpose of disclosing the instant invention.

It is to be understood that the molding members and recesses in roller units 11 and 12 may assume any form desired in accordance with the type of material towhich the packing strip is desired to be adapted. The molds may be embossed with any suitable advertisement or trade indications, which will appear in the final product. Other modifications may be made to the apparatus without altering the essence of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

and means for rotating said roller units to form said packing stri from said sheet of material without a tearmgor undue stretching of said material.

2. In an apparatus for producing packing strips, two roller units pressingly arranged adjacent each other, one of said units comprising two end walls, a plurality of moldin elements rotatably arranged between said two end walls, the other unit consisting of a cylinder having a plurality of recesses complementary to the molding elements of. said first unit and of substantially a half longitudinal section of said moldingelements, means for forming a sheet of material for pressing between said roller units comprising supports for a plurality of webs of material, an impregnating bath for at least one of said webs, means for combining said webs into a composite sheet and guiding said'sheet of material directly between said roller units, and means for rotating said roller units to form said packing strip from said sheet of material without a tearing or undue stretching of said material.

3. In an apparatus for producing packing strips, two roller units pressingly arranged adjacent each, other, one of said units comprising two end walls, a plurality of molding elements rotatably arranged between said two end walls, the other unit consisting of a cylinder having a plurality of recesses complementary to the molding elements of said first unit and of substantially a half longitudinal section of said molding elements, means for forming a sheet of material for pressing between said roller units comprising supports for a plurality of webs of material, an impregnating bath for at least one of said webs, means for combining said webs into a composite sheet, means for-drying the same to a predetermined degree, means for guiding said sheet of material directly between said roller units, and means for rotating said roller units to form said packing strip from said sheet of material without a tearing or undue stretching of said material.

4. In an apparatus for producing packing strips, two roller units pressingly arranged adjacent each other, one of said units comprising two end walls, a plurality of molding elements rotatably arranged between the said two end walls, the other unit consisting of a cylinder having a pluality of recesses complementary to the molding elements of said first unit and of substantially a half longitudinal section of said molding elements, means for pressing a sheet of material between said roller units, means for rotating said roller units to form said packing strip from said sheet of material without a tearing or undue stretching of said material, and guide means adjacent said second mentioned roller unit having an outline corresponding to the recesses in said unit for guiding off the pressed strip from said roller unit.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 with the molding elements upon the one roller unit and the recesses in the other roller unit having ribs and grooves to form the packing strip accordingly.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 with the molding elements upon the one roller unit and the recesses in the other roll- 7 or unit having circumferential ribs and grooves to form corrugations in said packing strip running in the direction of the travel of said strip.

t. The combination claimed in claim 1 with ,the molding elements upon the one roller unit having circumferential ribs and grooves to form corrugations in said packing strip running in the direction of the travel of said strip, with a gap in said corrugations across the deepest portion of said recesses in said last mentioned roller GOTTFRIED RUEGENBERG.

'unit. 

